Other Sea Life
Cockle
Family: Cardiidae
5-A-O
Cockles can sometimes be confused for Scallops to the untrained observer. The easiest way to tell the difference is to look for the characteristic triangular protrusions (auricles). Cockles are "gonorochistic". This means that the sex of cockles is determined by outside conditions. There are about 250 species of cockle. Cockles range in size from 1.5" to 6".
-Alex
Sunflower Sea Star
Pycnopodia helianthoides
5-A-O
(left) The sunflower sea star lives in the northeast Pacific. It is among the largest species of sea stars, reaching a maximum arm span of 1 m (3.3'). They are also one of the most colorful species. They can be bright orange, yellow, brown, purple, or red. Moving at a breakneck speed of 3.3 ft/min, (.38 mph) they easily outrun their favorite prey -- the sapid, but sluggish sea urchin who can only muster a top speed of 50 cm (3") per day. -Alex
conch
Strombidae
5-A-O
This large family of sea snails, also known as the "true conch", is mainly found in tropical and subtropical waters. Compared to land snails sea snails can move them selves quite fast, and are even strong enough to get themselves back up if they are upside down. https://youtu.be/5jzD4SnM65w https://youtu.be/LeQLYEhiOxw
Commmon Sea Star
Asterias Rubens
5-A-O
(right hand side in the above picture) This is the most prevalent type of sea star in the northeast Atlantic ocean. They have most commonly five arms, but specimens having four to eight arms have been recorded. Each arm can reach a length of up to 26 cm (10.24"). Usually these sea stars reach a diameter of 15-30 cm (5.91"-11.81"), but large individuals can grow to be 50 cm (19.69") in diameter. The staple of the common sea star's diet is mussels. They use their powerful legs to pry open the shell and get at the soft body of the mussel.
-Alex
Channeled Duck Clam
Raeta plicatella
5-A-O
In the context of bivalve anatomy, a siphon is a structure water flows through. Most bivalves have two of these. One takes in water and food and the other expels water. The channeled duck clam is unique because it has one structure that sucks in water and shouts it out. The shell of the channeled duck clam is very brittle. The shells at this museum are notable because they are in such good condition. -Alex
Tiger Cowry
Cypraea tigris
5-A-O
(brown shells) Cowries are a group of large sea snails. Like many humans, cowries spend a lot of time browsing. Unlike humans, however, they browse on algae, not smart-phones. The tiger cowry is found throughout the Pacific. The largest specimens are found around the Hawaiian Islands where they can become 15.2 cm (6") long. Like other cowries, the shell of the tiger cowry naturally has a shiny, polished appearance. Juvenile tiger cowries have a striped pattern on their shells instead of the spotted one that adults have. -Alex
spiny lobster
Palinuridae
Building 2- Contact Mr. Olsen to see!
Spiny Lobsters inhabit the tropical and subtropical waters of Florida, the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. They build their cozy homes in the protected areas of coral reefs, sponge flats, and other hard-bottomed areas They get their very creative names from the spines on their back that protect them from predators. -G. Pirtle
Blue Coral
Heliopora coerulea
6-B-I
This Blue Coral is a type of Colonial coral that produces a massive skeleton out of aragonite. There are individual polyps that live within the skeleton and are connected by thin layers of tissue over the outside of the skeleton. It can be found in the Eastern and Western Indian oceans and in multiple places of the Pacific Ocean. What a beautiful part of the museum. The blue is so vibrant! - I. Trent
Giant Clam
Tridacna gigas
1-A-O
The giant clam is the largest living bivalve mollusks. There are actually several different species of “giant clam.” the Tridacna gigas is one of the most endangered species of clam today. The giant clam lives in flat coral sand. They can be found at depths as low as 66 feet. Populations are diminishing quickly, the giant clam is becoming extinct in many areas where they were once common. -C. Boettcher
Coral
1-B-I;1-C-O
Coral is a marine invertebrate species, with many different subtypes. Coral reefs all around the world are endangered from ocean acidification, temperature increase, overfishing, pollution, and many other factors. According to Columbia University, "... many reefs have 40 to 50 percent less coral than they did just 30 years ago." The Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest coral reefs in the world, and it too is endangered. -Z. McMurry
Sources Cited: http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/06/13/losing-our-coral-reefs/
Barnacles
1-C-O
Barnacles are a marine species. In their adult life, they attach themselves to a stable surface or structure, becoming immobile for the rest of their lives. They attach to ships, man-made structures, rocks, and even other organisms, such as whales. They are considered a nuisance when attached to a ship; in great numbers, they can dramatically increase the drag of the ship, rendering it less effective. -Z. McMurry
Melo melo shell
MELO MELO
Melo Melo are also the Indian volute or bailer shell. A Melo Melo is a very large sea snail. It's known to live in littoral and shallow sub-littoral zones. It usually dwells in muddy bottoms at a depth of nearly 20 m. The maximum shell length is up to 275 mm.
A. Blackwell-Besse
Coral
Anthozoa
Located in East Building - Contact Mr. Olsen for Access
Corals and coral reefs are vast networks of organisms called coral polyps that expand through the asexual reproduction of budding or dividing. Coral polyps can live from two years to hundreds of years, really only at risk of dying due to temperature change or pollution. The hue of coral is in fact clear, yet certain algae that lives within this organism holds their common vibrant color. This distinct piece of coral has lost that characteristic from a process called coral bleaching. This process shows that when environmental changes occur, coral get stressed and expel their algae visitors. In this circumstance, the coral is more vulnerable—not having a food source and being more susceptible to disease. --E. Sharp
lobster
Nephropidae
Building 2- Contact Mr. Olsen
Lobsters have long bodies with muscular tails, and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, which are usually much larger than the others. Lobsters live up to an estimated 45 to 50 years in the wild, although determining age is difficult. The largest lobster ever caught weighed nearly 45 pounds. A. Blackwell-Besse
